Live update

This week’s press briefing will take place on Friday, 29 November at 14:30. Journalists who have questions on the Reparations Order pronounced earlier that day, are encouraged to attend.

Please be informed that the current break (which started at 09:40 live or at 10:25 in the delayed online stream) will last longer than announced. The trial is expected to resume at 10:40 (or at 11:25 in the online stream).

Witness Halil Qadraku resumes his testimony this morning. After questioning by the SPO and three Defence teams, the witness is currently being re-examined by the SPO.

This morning, the SPO continued the examination-in-chief of its 107th witness Halil Qadraku.

Halil Qadraku is the new Prosecution’s witness, whose testimony commenced this morning. According to the Prosecution’s summary in court, this witness joined the KLA around March 1998 and occupied various roles in multiple locations, including the Pashtrik operational zone.

Pursuant to Rule 151(2), the Panel announced in court that they decided to compel this witness to testify due to, inter alia, the importance and uniqueness of his testimony, as well as the limited nature of possible self-incrimination. According to the same Rule, paragraph 3, the Panel assured the witness that his evidence would be given in camera, unless requested otherwise by the witness, and would not be used against him in any subsequent prosecution before the KSC, except under Article 15 (2) of the Law and Rule 65 of the Rules.

Following the consultations with his duty counsel present in court, the witness announced that he would like this testimony to be in open session.

On 22 November, Trial Panel I rejected the Defence's request to either excuse Pjetër Shala from attending the Reparation Order announcement on 29 November or to postpone the hearing. The Panel determined that the accused's attendance at this hearing is mandated by the Law and the Rules. The Panel found that the Defence's argument, citing Shala's scheduled visits as exceptional circumstances, did not justify his absence or a postponement. However, in light of the hearing’s anticipated short duration, the Panel directed the Registry to facilitate the organisation of Shala's visits on that day to the extent feasible.

Further details are available in the decision.

Here is the transcript of today's KSC Weekly Press Briefing.

Following the completion of the testimony of the SPO’s 106th witness W04393, the trial in the Thaçi et al. case has adjourned for the day and the week. The trial will resume on Monday, 25 November 2024, at 09:00.

Protected witness W04393 started testifying this morning. According to the SPO summary in court, this witness was abducted by persons wearing KLA insignia in 1998 and then detained and mistreated in a KLA detention site. This testimony is conducted via video-link.

Another KSC weekly press briefing will take place on Thursday, 21 November, at 14:30. During this briefing, the KSC Spokespersons will provide a short update on the latest developments in the judicial proceedings before the KSC, as well as on other public activities of the Court. Journalists will have the opportunity to ask questions. Pre-registration is required to attend each briefing. To pre-register, please send an email with name and affiliation to [email protected]. Deadline for pre-registration is every Thursday at 12:00. The Zoom details will be shared following pre-registration. Recordings of the update provided during the Weekly Press Briefings will be made available on the KSC YouTube Channel.